Cut to two and a half decades later and more people than ever are eating their lunch at their work desk and some don’t have time for lunch at all. Some of us feel under so much pressure in our jobs that we are scared to take a day off sick, so we sit in our workplace spreading germs to everyone else in the room.
Some people are so concerned about their job security that they won’t even use their allocated holiday allowance or if they do, they make themselves ‘available’ even when on holiday, thanks to new technology such as the Internet, email and mobile phones this is all easily possible, but at what cost to our stress levels?
If your job often leaves you feeling stressed or overwhelmed, here are 5 simple actions that you can do to counteract the stresses of daily life;
1) ‘Take 5′ – simple meditation.
For just 5 minutes in a day, do absolutely nothing. Just be.
Sit or lie comfortably and just breathe deeply – in through the nose and out through the mouth. Concentrate only on your breathing. Let your breathing go into a natural rhythm. Breath in ‘peace’. Breath out ‘tension’
Once you start to feel calmer, relax and let go of all remaining tension in your body.
Make your last 3 big breaths really deep and release slowly each time. Slowly sit up and open your eyes become conscious of your surroundings.
2) Choose You
Do something alone and enjoy it. We often rely on other people to make us happy, but then we are putting our happiness in their control, which isn’t always the best solution for us. Find something that you can do alone, even it is only reading a book, and enjoy your ‘me’ time. Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty, everyone is entitled to at least a few minutes a day to themselves, even busy mums or carers.
3) Stress Busting Exercise
If a high tempo exercise such as Boxercise or Aerobics is really not your thing, do not use this as an excuse to avoid exercise altogether. A fast paced 20 minute walk will still relieve tension.
4) An early night
It’s very tempting to stay up too late, especially when we are busy, but being awake for more hours doesn’t make us more productive, in fact it is the opposite.
Commit to having one reasonably early night a week when you get at least 8 hours sleep. To help you to sleep, make a ritual of bedtime – have a milky drink, take a bath or shower, moisturise, put clean sheets on the bed etc
5) Let it go
This is a very simple philosophy but it works well if you allow it to. If it has already happened – just let it go. You cannot change the past.
Try using step 1 and this step together, when you breathe out; release all remaining tension about the issue.
If it has yet to happen, don’t worry about it too much because the future CAN be changed and we do not know what is going to happen for certain. Live in the present and enjoy it.
Mel Trudgett is a self development coach and the owner of Healing That Feeling.
Her unique programme, Stress to Success in 7 Steps, has helped people from all over the world to easily overcome their stress, phobias, anger, depression, trauma, limiting beliefs and helped them to make big changes in their lives.
Visit http://www.healingthatfeeling.com to receive a free 7 day mini course which will show you to easily and holistically resolve YOUR problem issues.
